The Social Web INF103 Computer Literacy Kim Keel June 27, 2011 The social web is defined as according to Boyd Ellison (2007) social network sites as web-based services that allow individuals to (1) construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, (2) articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and (3) view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system. The nature and nomenclature of these connections may vary from site to site. The social web popularity has increased dramatically since it was introduced in 1997, since than more advanced social web websites have been introduced like facebook and MySpace, which allows friends and family to reconnect and stay connected simply by updating your status and allowing others to post on your wall in your profile. It has also been a great tool to find old friends that you have lost contact with. According to Procon.org (2011) The popularity of social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Classmates.com more than quadrupled from 2005 to 2009. The social web has many benefits both personally and professionally, but as usual all good things come with a price. The benefits of the social web is what made it extremely popular for our society. The social web has made it easier for individuals to stay in touch or reconnect with family and friends. It has also made it easier for individuals to expand their social networks personally and professionally. Social websites has also made meeting someone in person a thing of the past, instead they can communicate with someone safely over the networking site before meeting in person. According to Procon.org (2011) Social networking sites allow people to create new relationships and reconnect with friends and family. Increased communication, even online, strengthens relationships. Thanks to the social web networking websites it has become easier for college students to connect with individuals with the same interest and goals according to University of the Pacific (2011) They can be a way to connect with or meet people that a student may not have had the opportunity to beforeincluding other students, staff, faculty and even alumni. Most importantly it lets individuals put themselves in the in the publics eye and letting possible future employers their qualities and experiences. According to University of the Pacific (2011) social networking sitesoffers students the opportunity to create a positive self-image. The profiles gives you a chance to create the image of themselves that you want people to see by putting you best qualities out there. This shows that you care about you reputation and (to a certain extent) what people think about youwhether its you peers, University faculty and administrators, or future employers. Below shows that students use Facebook primarily to maintain existing offline relationships or to solidify what would otherwise be ephemeral, temporary acquaintanceships. The social web has increased the social capital throughout todays society. Social capital according to Ellison, Lampe, Steinfield (2007) refers to the resources accumulated through the relationships among people. Social capital has been linked to many positive outcomes of our society. For some individuals who have a strong social capital were able to draw from their social capital resources for help. According to Ellison, Lampe, Steinfield (2007) For individuals, social capital allows a person to draw on resources from other members of the networks to which he or she belongs. These resources can take the form of useful information, personal relationships, or the capacity to organize groups. Access to individuals outside ones close circle provides access to non-redundant information, resulting in benefits such as employment connections. Moreover, social capital researchers have found that various forms of social capital, including ties with friends and